Strong solar activity in past 72 hours

A strong M-Class flare registering M6.7 took place at 15:46 UTC around active Sunspot 1283. Stay tuned for any further updates.  (SolarHam)

On Sept. 8th at 1546 UT, sunspot 1283 unleashed an M6-class solar flare. This continues the active region’s 3-day trend of daily powerful eruptions. Yesterday’s blast, an X1.8-class event, produced a bright flash of extreme UV radiation and hurled an inky-dark plume of plasma into space. Click to view the movie from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory:

Since Sept. 6th, sunspot 1283 has propelled at least three CMEs in the general direction of Earth. Glancing blows from the incoming clouds will commence sometime on Sept. 9th and continue through Sept. 11th, possibly sparking minor geomagnetic storms. (SpaceWeather)

Alerts / Bulletins
Latest Alert: Sep 08 1704 UTC SUMMARY: X-ray Event exceeded M5
Last Advisory Bulletin: Sep 06 2344 UTC: Strong Radio Blackout Event

NOAA Scales Activity

Range 1 (minor) to 5 (extreme)
NOAA Scale	Past 24 hrs	Current
Geomagnetic Storms
Solar Radiation Storms
Radio Blackouts

Now watching the solar wind for the pulse expected late tomorrow, September 9. The R3 (Strong) Radio Blackout and its associated CME are not expected to play in to the isolated, low level — G1 (Minor) Geomagnetic Storm response — expected through September 10.

The source of this solar activity, Region 1283, has been like “Old Faithful.” Is there another flare to come around 2200Z today? Keep watch.

An amateur radio astronomer captured radio sounds from the Sun, specifically from sunspot 1283. The third significant flare since September 6th from this active sunspot plays as the backdrop to the celestial shortwave radio static.

 

Solar activity has been high with multiple M-Class flares and two X-Class events over the past 72 hours. Sunspot 1283 will remain a threat for further solar flare activity. Minor Geomagnetic Storming will be possible by Sept 9th should any of the multiple Coronal Mass Ejections over the past several days deliver a glancing blow to earths magnetosphere.

Sunspot 1289 which has not been talked about very much, is expanding in size but is not as magnetically complex as 1283. This could change.

Watch the movie below to see how the Sun has come to life. Multiple CMEs on both sides of the sun between Sept 4 and Sept 8.

X-flares of Solar Cycle 24:

There have been only a handful of X-flares since the beginning of new Solar Cycle 24. Here is a complete list so far, all in 2011: Feb. 15 (X2), March 9 (X1), Aug. 9 (X7), Sept. 6 (X2), Sept. 7 (X2). Before these five, the previous X-flare occured on Dec.14, 2006, (X1) during old Solar Cycle 23.

An amateur radio astronomer captured radio sounds from the Sun, specifically from sunspot 1283. The third significant flare since September 6th from this active sunspot plays as the backdrop to the celestial shortwave radio static.